Tractor-trailer coupling means



Oct. 3, 1944. 5. WALTHER ET AL 2,359,499

TRACTOR-TRAILER COUPLING MEANS Original Filed Aug'. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 8 5 gffWW v i XNVENTOFQC) A GEOQGE WALTHEQ ELM EB LMHLLEQ.

ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 3, 1944. G, WALTHER ET AL TRACTOR-TRAILER COUPLING MEANS OriginalFiled Aug. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS caoacz WALTHER EL ER L.VMILLER W ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 3, 1944 TRACTOR-TRAILER COUPLING MEANS George Walther and Elmer L. Miller, Dayton,

Ohio, assi-gnors to The Dayton Steel. Foundry: Company;v Dayton, Ohio, acorporation. of Ohio Original. application August 5,, 1940, Serial NIL.

351,540.. Divided and this application April 9, 1941, Serial' No; 387,766 v 10"Glaims. (01280-331) This application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 351,540, filed August 5, 1940.

This invention relates to the art of tractor and semitrailer combination vehicles, wherein the same are connected through articulated means such as the. commonly employed fifth wheel structure. This fifth wheel structureusually includes a lower fifth wheel member on the tractor andan upper fifth wheelmember onthe forward end of the trailer, which rests upon the lower fifth wheel on the tractor, the vehicles, when in. coupled relation for road travel, being connected through a swivel connection provided by a king pin carried by one of the fifth wheel members and locked to the other by means of suitable locking means carried by the latter.

One of the fifthwheel members is preferably mounted to rock about a horizontal axis disposed transversely of the vehicle upon which it is mounted. It is usual today to provide the lower fifth wheel with such rocking mounting and the mounting of the lower fifth wheel is such that when the vehicles'are disconnected, the lower fifth wheel normally inclines rearwardly tov provide an.

of considerable noise and'clatter, as well as' wear of certain parts, notably the inter-engaging portions of the king pin and locking jaws.

It is a principal object of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned shock and noise as much as possible by providing a resilient or cushioned mounting for one or both of said fifth wheels respecting the vehicle to'which it is at tached.

Preferably, the resilient mounting of either of the fifth wheels relative to its vehicle should provide not only for cushioning of the shock incident to the coupling contact of the fifth wheels; but should provide for the cushioning of vertical and longitudinal thrust action. of the vehicles relative to one another during travel in coupled relation.

With the foregoing ends in View, the present invention makes novel provision. for the resilient mounting of the rockable fifth wheel relative-to its vehicle, such that the same is cushioned in, respect to permissive longitudinal and vertical movement of said fifth wheel relative to its vehicle. This novel mounting'avails of spiral spring. means cushioning the transverse rockable axis, of, the fifth wheel respecting the vehicle to which it is connected.

Other objects and advantages and features-of novelty will appear more fully as the description of this invention progresses, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View showing the rear end of a tractor and the forward end of a trailer in coupled relation and embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the lower fifth wheel embodying certain features of the invention.

Figure 3is'a transverse, vertical sectional view of the said fifth wheel, taken on the line 3 3" of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a longitudinaly ertical sectional" view taken on the line l4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view of the lower fifth wheel mounting bracket similar to that shown in Fig-- ure 4, but availing of a modified resilient connection of the lower fifth wheel thereto.

The numeral 1' designates the" frame of a: tractor vehicle, and 2 the rear driving wheels there of. Mounted upon the frame I of the tractor are brackets 3- for supporting the lower fifth wheel 4 upon the tractor. The brackets 3' comprise a housing 5 of circular shape having a closed outer side 6, and open at its" inner: side, as indicated at "I, for the reception of a spiral spring8'.

The fifth. wheel 4* is provided. with depending ears lzlliand III, havingsuitable apertures therein, adapted for the receipt of journal bolts. 9 for" jeurnalingthev fifth wheel 4 rockably relative to the brackets: 3; The sides 6 of the housings 5' are provided. with apertures l2 of somewhat greater diamet'er-thanthejournal bolts 9', to permit a certain amount of relative movement of: the

fifth wheel relativepto the brackets 3 when the journal bolts 9 are: assembled, as shown in Fig= ures 3 to 5, passing through the respective apertures in the ears ['0' and II, and the-aperture l'2 in said housing, and with the springs 8 mounted in said housings surrounding said journal bolts.

The journal bolts 9 are provided with headsfla. which may engage one side of the ear I tandznuts 9b which may be threaded on said bolts for en:- gagement with the ear I 0 whenv the fifthwheelis assembled on the brackets 3 asjust described.

When the lower fifth wheel 4 is assembled for rocking movement relative to the brackets 3, as

shown in Fig. 4, may be supplemented by the employment of resilient material, such as rubber,

indicated at l3 in Figure 5, as being wound between and about the coils of the helical springs 8. The rubber or other resilient material l3 may be secured to the springs 8 in any uitable manner such as by vulcanization or riveting of the rubber to the springs. Or, it may be advisable to grease the helical spring and to dampen the noise of the spring action by means of an oiltreated antisqueak fabric or leather strip wound between the coils of the spring. In the event it is desired to accomplish this latter purpose,

any suitable material, such as leather, fabric, or V the like, or any other similar material which is commonly used for brake linings and which is flexible but not necessarily as elastic as rubber, may be substituted for the rubber or resilient material indicated at l3 in Figure 5, such relatively non-elastic material, such as leather, fabric, or other brake lining material, being wound between the spirals or coils of the helical springs 8 in the same manner as that indicated in reference to the rubber or resilient material at [3.

From the foregoing, it will'be seen that the construction described provides a simple and economical mounting for the lower fifth wheel upon the tractor or pulling vehicle,'which construction is so designed as to admit of ready assembly of the parts and tomake provision not only for cushioning of the shocks incident to the coupling contact of the fifth wheels when the tractor is backed into the trailer, but also for cushioning of vertical and longitudinal thrust action of the tractor and trailer vehicles relative to one another during travel of said vehicles in coupled relation.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Tractor-trailer coupling means comprising a fifth wheel of the detachable type for cooperation with a king pin coupling member, and mounting means for supporting said fifth wheel upon a vehicle, said mounting means comprising pivot means permitting free rocking movement of the fifth wheel, and resilient members directly supporting the fifth wheel and comprising springs coiled around the pivot means and fioatingly supporting the fifth wheel at the pivot means, said springs being interposed between the fifth wheel and a portion of said mounting means, the fifth wheel bein supported relative to said mounting means solely by the cooperation of the pivot means with said springs.

2. Tractor-trailer coupling means comprising a fifth wheel of the detachable type adapted to receive the impinging forces of a king pin cousaid supporting means comprising supporting brackets, pivot means supporting said fifth wheel in a freely rocking manner relative to said brackets, and springs directly supporting the terial wound between the coiled portions of the springs.

5. Tractor-trailer coupling means comprising a fifth wheel of the detachable type for cooperation with a king pin coupling member, and mounting means for supporting said fifth wheel upon a vehicle, said mounting means comprising 1 pivot means permitting free rocking movement of the fifth wheel relative to the mounting means; and resilient members supportin the fifth wheel and comprising spiralsprings coiled around the pivot means whereby the pivot means are directly supported upon the central convolutions of said springs to thereby floatingly support the fifth wheel at the pivot means, said springs being interposed between the fifth wheel and a portion,

of the mounting means, the fifth wheel being supported relative to said portion of the mounting means solely by the cooperation of the pivot means with said springs.

6. Tractor-trailer couplingmeans comprising a fifth wheel of the detachable type adaptedto receive theimpinging forces of a king pin cou pling member to be engaged therewith, and yieldable supporting means for said fifth wheel comprising supporting brackets, pivot means con-, necting said fifth Wheel in a freely rocking manner relative to said brackets, and spiral springs interposed between the fifth wheel and said brackets and coiled around said pivot means, the

latter means engaging the central convolutions 8. Means as claimed in claim 1 combined with a strap of anti-squeak lubricating material or'the like wound between the coiled portions of they springs.

9. Tractor-trailer coupling means of the class described comprising a fifth wheel member of the detachable type adapted to receive the impinging forces of a king pin coupling means to be engaged therewith, and yieldable supporting means for said fifth wheel member comprising supporting brackets, pivot means supporting said fifth wheel in a freely rockable manner relative to said brackets, and spiral springs coiled around the pivot means, the latter directly engaging the central convolution only of said springs, said springs being interposed between the fifth wheel and the spring, said spring being interposed between the pivot means and the other of said members with the outer convolution of said spring engaging said other of said members, said spring directly supporting the weight of the fifth wheel member in a freely rockable manner relative to said bracket member about the axis of said pivot means, said spring constituting the sole element of support intervening between said other of said 1 members and said pivot means.

GEORGE WALTHER. ELMER L. MILLER. 

